Guiding Light: Eagle Rock
Sure, it's a little off the beaten path — especially if your path happens to be anywhere west of Silver Lake Boulevard. But Eagle Rock is more than bakeries and counter-culture coffee shops. The eastern pocket of town is a charming enclave of retail goodness, even if some of the shops are in desperate need of a new paint job. Since appearances can be deceiving, we explored Eagle Rock anyway and found some great deals and unique merchandise not readily available in more established areas of town.
These are our picks for a fantastical Eagle Rock shopping experience.
The Place: Lilly Simone
The Deal: Former stylist Simone Porter Johnston opened this boutique roughly seven years ago. “She was always interested in clothing,” Minni Mazzola, a friend of the owner, said. “Eagle Rock didn’t have anything here like this before. There weren’t any other cute specialty boutiques, so she wanted to bring one to the area.”
The Details: The shop is intricate and quaint, with a sofa and two armchairs placed in the center and clothes and accessories hung on surrounding racks and shelves. We found a plethora of pieces from well-priced, contemporary label BB Dakota, including a cute white skirt for $50 and a floral sundress for $90. Jeans by Blank Denim are $74 and a selection of embossed crocodile leather bags by Winter come in a collection of bright colors and two sizes: $95 for small, $135 for something a bit bigger. A pair of pink cube earrings by Leanna Lin caught our eye for only $34.
The Steal: Oxy students and faculty receive 15% off all regularly priced clothing.
5022 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles. Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed Monday. 323-254-0530. shoplilysimone.com
The Place: Lady
The Deal: Camille de Soto opened up her boutique in 2007 after years of wanting to run her own shop. “Lady’s mission is to provide fun, unique fashion at great prices,” de Soto says on her website.
The Details: This shop is an area favorite and known for a great selection of not-too-expensive girlie goods. We found an adorable candy printed, sweetheart neck dress for $48 (pictured above), a coral-colored loose T-shirt with a braided neck ($44) that reminds us of something we'd find on a tropical island and a pair of navy and bronze braided flat sandals for $82. There's also jewelry to be found — some of it vintage — including a huge, gold circular pendant that has a mod feel for $62.
The Steal: Last time we went in, we spotted a cute black-studded belt purse for $34, or 50 percent off the original price. And for all of those clog fans out there, Lady just received a shipment of the high-heeled horse shoes and they're only $36.
4974 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles. Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m., closed Monday. 323-254-6500. www.ladyeaglerock.com
The Place: Cali
The Deal: Mr. John, originally from Korea, opened up this shop in the Eagle Rock Plaza Mall about 20 years ago.
The Details: With its fluorescent purple sign and loud hip-hop music, Cali appears off-putting at first glance. But awesome, dirt cheap finds abound — from shoulder bags, and tank tops to sandals and heels. Expect to find an array of summer dresses starting at just $10 and not topping $30. And if you need T-shirts, this is the place to pick some up — they're a mere $2.99. We also found some outfit accouterment such as headbands, plastic hair clips and bracelets for less than a pack of gum. But our favorite find was a beautiful white, oversize bag by Miztique for only $35. This isn't where you go to get heirloom outfits to pass down to your daughters, but cute, fun, cheap pieces that are perfect pick-me-ups for a Friday night out.
The Steal: Old merchandise is constantly on sale year-round for 30-70% off. $5.99 sale racks with dresses, shorts, skirts and shirts are placed throughout the store.
2700 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, 323-254-4215.